2020 Hamburg state election
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All 123 seats in the Hamburg Parliament 62 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Turnout | 4,054,861 (63.2%) 6.7 pp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The 2020 Hamburg state election was held on 23 February 2020 to elect the members of the 22nd Hamburg Parliament. The outgoing government was a coalition of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and The Greens led by First Mayor Peter Tschentscher. The election was marked by a decline for the SPD and right-of-centre parties, while The Greens doubled their vote share and number of seats, becoming the second largest party.[2] The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered their worst ever result in Hamburg and their worst state election result in 68 years.[3] The Left achieved a small upswing. Alternative for Germany (AfD) declined in vote share and seat count compared to a previous election for the first time in its history. The Free Democratic Party fell narrowly short of the 5% electoral threshold to win proportional seats, in total winning only one seat from a direct mandate.
After the election, the SPD renewed its coalition with the Greens.[4] Peter Tschentscher was re-elected Mayor on 10 June.[5]
Issues and campaign
Federal
The Hamburg state election was overshadowed by the Thuringia government crisis,[6] the resignation of Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer as federal CDU leader,[7] and a terrorist attack targeting immigrants in Hanau which took place four days before the election.
Local
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2020) |
In the wake of the Thuringia government crisis, approximately 20% of the FDP's election posters in Hamburg were defaced or destroyed. Greens leader Katharina Fegebank stated that such actions "harmed democracy".[8][9]
Electoral system
The elections were conducted under a list proportional system in the same manner as the prior election. 71 seats were awarded directly in the 17 multi-mandate constituencies (of between 3-5 seats each) via open constituency lists, and the remaining 50 via at-large open state lists (German: landesliste) based on percentage of the overall vote with a 5% electoral threshold.
Each voter had a total of ten votes: five constituency votes for the direct candidates in the constituency, and five at-large votes for candidates on the state lists (or for state lists in their entirety). The five votes could be amassed all on one person, party, or list (accumulation) or could be distributed/split between different candidates, parties, or lists as desired (panachage). Voting privileges were passively awarded, meaning anyone over the age of 18 meeting eligibility requirements was automatically enrolled.
Parties
The table below lists parties represented in the 21st Hamburg Parliament.
Opinion polling
Polling firm | Fieldwork date | Sample size |
SPD | CDU | Grüne | Linke | FDP | AfD | Others | Lead |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;"| | style="background:Template:Christian Democratic Union of Germany/meta/color;"| | style="background:Template:Alliance 90/The Greens/meta/color;"| | style="background:Template:The Left (Germany)/meta/color;"| | style="background:Template:Free Democratic Party (Germany)/meta/color;"| | style="background:Template:Alternative for Germany/meta/color;"| | |||||
2020 state election | 23 Feb 2020 | – | 39.2 | 11.2 | 24.2 | 9.1 | 4.9 | 5.3 | 6.1 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 15.0 |
Forschungsgruppe Wahlen | 19–20 Feb 2020 | 1,184 | 39 | 12 | 24 | 8.5 | 5 | 6 | 5.5 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 15 |
INSA | 12–17 Feb 2020 | 1,006 | 38 | 13 | 23 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 6 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 15 |
Universität Hamburg | 2 Jan–14 Feb 2020 | 1,004 | 34 | 12 | 32 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 2 |
Forschungsgruppe Wahlen | 11–13 Feb 2020 | 1,128 | 37 | 13 | 25 | 8 | 4.5 | 7 | 5.5 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 12 |
Infratest dimap | 10–12 Feb 2020 | 1,003 | 38 | 14 | 23 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 6 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 15 |
Infratest dimap | 30 Jan–4 Feb 2020 | 1,000 | 34 | 14 | 27 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 5 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 7 |
Trend Research Hamburg | 24–29 Jan 2020 | 672 | 33 | 14 | 24 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 5 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 9 |
Infratest dimap | 16–21 Jan 2020 | 1,002 | 32 | 16 | 27 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 4 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 5 |
Infratest dimap | 2–7 Jan 2020 | 1,000 | 29 | 15 | 29 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 4 | Tie |
Forsa | 18 Dec 2019–2 Jan 2020 | 1,009 | 29 | 16 | 26 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 5 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 3 |
Trend Research Hamburg | 27–31 Dec 2019 | 678 | 32 | 13 | 23 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 4 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 9 |
Civey | 22 Nov–20 Dec 2019 | 2,041 | 30.4 | 13.6 | 24.1 | 13.7 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 3.3 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 6.3 |
Infratest dimap | 11–16 Dec 2019 | 1,004 | 28 | 17 | 26 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 5 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 2 |
Trend Research Hamburg | 5–10 Nov 2019 | 652 | 32 | 13 | 23 | 12 | 7 | 8 | 4 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 9 |
INSA | 23 Oct–4 Nov 2019 | 1,020 | 25 | 17 | 26 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 4 | style="background:Template:Alliance 90/The Greens/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 1 |
Trend Research Hamburg | 6–11 Sep 2019 | 618 | 28 | 14 | 28 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 4 | Tie |
2019 European election | 26 May 2019 | – | 19.8 | 17.7 | 31.2 | 7.0 | 5.6 | 6.5 | 12.2 | style="background:Template:Alliance 90/The Greens/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 11.4 |
pmg – policy matters | 6–16 May 2019 | 1,002 | 30 | 16 | 22 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 2 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 8 |
Universität Hamburg | 6 Jan–2 Mar 2019 | 1,069 | 35 | 15 | 29 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 3 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 6 |
Infratest dimap | 18–21 Feb 2019 | 1,005 | 31 | 17 | 22 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 4 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 9 |
Forsa | 27 Dec 2018–3 Jan 2019 | 1,004 | 30 | 14 | 24 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 5 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 6 |
Forsa | 19 Mar–4 Apr 2018 | 1,001 | 36 | 16 | 18 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 4 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 18 |
pmg – policy matters | 23 Feb–2 Mar 2018 | 1,025 | 28 | 22 | 15 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 3 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 6 |
2017 federal election | 24 Sep 2017 | – | 23.5 | 27.2 | 13.9 | 12.2 | 10.8 | 7.8 | 4.5 | style="background:Template:Christian Democratic Union of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 3.7 |
Universität Hamburg | 8 Sep–17 Nov 2016 | 1,004 | 48 | 18 | 16 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 2 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 30 |
Infratest dimap | 31 Mar–5 Apr 2016 | 1,000 | 39 | 18 | 15 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 3 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 21 |
Trend Research Hamburg | 14–18 Jan 2016 | 759 | 37 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 5 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 23 |
2015 state election | 15 Feb 2015 | – | 45.6 | 15.9 | 12.3 | 8.5 | 7.4 | 6.1 | 4.2 | style="background:Template:Social Democratic Party of Germany/meta/color;color:#FFFFFF;"| 29.7 |
Election result
At one polling booth in Langenhorn, the results for the FDP and Greens were accidentally reversed, meaning the preliminary results placed the FDP only 121 votes above the threshold. The mistake was corrected in the official count which took place over 24 hours later.[10] Exit polls suggested that AfD would miss the threshold while FDP would exceed it, leading to early press reports of an AfD defeat and exclusion of its politicians from post-election debates.[11]
Government formation
Mayor Tschentscher stated that exploratory talks with the Greens were "the first priority", but that "we will also - if the majorities are confirmed - approach the CDU and hold a conversation." Marcus Weinberg of the CDU stated he was "ready for talks" with the SPD. Lead candidate for the Greens Katharina Fegebank called for "More red-green, with strong greens in the government." Cansu Özdemir of The Left stated her party wished to remain a strong opposition force.[12]
The SPD and Greens came to a coalition agreement at the end of May. The SPD took 7 ministries and the Greens 4, a net gain of one for the Greens.[4] The vote for Mayor took place on 10 June, and Tschentscher was re-elected Mayor with 87 votes in favour, 34 against, and 2 abstentions. The new cabinet was also approved with 83 votes in favour, 38 against, and 2 abstentions.[5]
See also
References
- ^ "Hamburger: Am 23. Februar 2020 neue Bürgerschaft wählen". Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- ^ "Merkel 'slumps in Hamburg as Greens surge'". BBC News. 2020-02-23. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
- ^ Reuters (2020-02-23). "Merkel's CDU suffers worst ever result in Hamburg elections". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
{{cite news}}
:|last=
has generic name (help) - ^ a b "Regierungbildung in Hamburg: Grüne benennen Senatoren". NDR.de. 31 May 2020.
- ^ a b "Bürgerschaft wählt Tschentscher und bestätigt Senat". Ndr.de. 10 June 2020.
- ^ "Germany's FDP to seek dissolution of Thuringia state assembly: source". Reuters. 2020-02-06. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
- ^ "Merkel's crisis-hit CDU launches leadership race". Yahoo News. 2020-02-24. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
- ^ "Hass-Welle gegen FDP 800 Zerstörte Plakate und Parteiaustritte in Hamburg (in German)". Hamburger Morgenpost. 2020-02-10. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
- ^ "Bereits 800 FDP-Wahlplakate in Hamburg zerstört (in German)". Welt. 2020-02-24. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
- ^ "Hamburg-Wahl 2020: Katastrophe für FDP besiegelt - Merz spricht von „Desaster" für CDU (in German)". Merkur.de. 2020-02-24. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
- ^ "Hamburger Bürgerschaftswahl: Darum lagen die Prognosen für die AfD so daneben (in German)". Welt. 2020-02-24. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
- ^ "Was sagen Hamburger Politiker zum Wahlausgang?". NDR.de. 23 February 2020.